“There are always opportunities to take the lead on an initiative and make a material difference not only in your day-to-day role but as part of the team. ”

I am Dutch but grew up in Africa and Eastern Europe before settling in the UK to attend secondary school. When my parents decided to move back to The Netherlands, I stayed to read business administration at the University of Bath.

I studied business administration as an undergrad because I wanted something that was broad enough to allow me many different career paths. My bachelor’s degree required that I complete two work placements, each lasting 6 months, at two different companies. My first placement was at Goldman Sachs in FX (foreign exchange) settlements where I was able to use some of my language skills. What brought me back to Goldman Sachs after I graduated was the international scale of the firm while still feeling close-knit, and I believed I could have an impact early on and that my work would have a wide reach.

My first full-time job with the firm was in the Global Fund Products Middle Office, which is a structured products team. The team provides a wide range of innovative, customized solutions across a number of products, regions and asset types to offer bespoke solutions for our clients. On a typical day, the job would include working on a new product launch to ensure that the relevant legal agreements and trading accounts are in place for trading, or perhaps working to resolve a client’s queries.

In 2015, I joined the Strategic Client Services team within Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM). GSAM provides our clients with investment and advisory solutions and strategies spanning asset classes, industries and geographies. It is an exciting place to work, as the business continues to grow and evolve in how we service our clients. I am based in London and the clients I work with are throughout Europe, and I have even spent time working in the US with clients as well.

As a Client Account Specialist, my role focuses on onboarding customized mandates for institutional clients. I work closely with the client as well as internal sales, portfolio management and legal teams once the client has decided to appoint GSAM as their investment manager. My responsibility is to bring together the various teams and processes that are required for the operational set up of the client’s account prior to GSAM being able to manage their assets, including ensuring all legal materials are in place and that confirmation of portfolio and trading readiness has been received.

There are always opportunities to take the lead on an initiative and make a material difference not only in your day-to-day role but as part of the team. You’re really encouraged to speak up.

I actively help the firm recruit at my alma mater. Goldman Sachs works with the university to help students learn about careers in the financial industry and the roles that are available at Goldman Sachs. We look for team players who demonstrate drive and intellectual curiosity.

I am fluent in English and Dutch, and when I worked in FX I spoke German more often than I do now. I spoke to a lot of the German clients. Everyone appreciates being spoken to in their own language.

I run a monthly book club outside the office. This club is really diverse and made up of people of all ages who work in a wide variety of fields. We read mostly fiction, but some nonfiction as well. When we meet, there’s always lively discussion and debate. I’m also really interested in contemporary art and design and love scouring London for interesting finds, which means I am rapidly running out of wall space!

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